Hanger for street-lamps.



No. 768,803. PATENTED AUG. 30, 1904. A. W. HUTGHINS.

HANGER FOR STREET LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented August 30, 190 1.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR IV. HUTCHINS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

HANGER FOR STREET-LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,803, dated August30, 1904.

Application filed March 4, 1904.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. HUTeHINs,

the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to novel improvements inself-acting hangers employed for supporting electric street-lamps or forother uses to which it is applicable.

The lamps referred to are of the overhead suspended type capable ofbeing lowered to the ground at will through the medium of a cord orconnection attached to the hangers. In some cases lamps of this classare suspended from the end of mast-arms, so called. In other cases thelamps are suspended from suitably-supported cables extending across thestreet and provided with means for raising and lowering the lamps.

The object sought to be attained in the present invention is to providea simple, in-

expensive, safe, efiicient, and easily-operative hanger, the same notliable to get out of order or become inoperative even when exposed tothe severest weather.

To this end the invention is self-contained; and it consists,essentially, in the combination of a swinging laterally-separable hoodor casinghavingan apertured base, a jointed connection hinged to anduniting the two parts of the casing, a central holder or connectormember having the lamp suspended therefrom normallysupported by thecasing and arranged when elevated to operatively engage saidconnectionto separate the casing, and an operating cord or cable connected withthe said holder member for raising and lowering the lamp, said cordbeing provided with a dog adapted to engage with and depress or flexsaid jointed connection after the said holder has passed downwardlythrough the casing.

The invention also consists in providing the casing and connector withindependentlyinsulated currentconductors, the former adapted to beconnected with any suitable source or generator of electricity, theholder or Serial No. 196,499. (No model.)

connector conductor being connected with the respective poles of thelamp, arranged whereby the electric circuit is automatically closed whenthe holder is normallyseated in the easing, but is automaticallybrokenwhenever the holder is unseatcd, all as will be more fully hereinafterset forth and claimed.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a verticalcentral sectional view showing the improved hanger in the closed ornormal working position. Fig. 2 is a similar sectional view, the hangerbeing in the open or separated position preparatory to lowering the lamptherefrom. Fig. 3 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 1, showing thehanger provided with means forautomatically opening and closing theelectric circuit. In this figure the circuit is represented asbeingclosed. Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view, the hanger being open andthe circuit broken.

The following is a detailed description and the manner of operation ofthis improved automatic hanger A. It may be stated that while the deviceis represented as being em ployed in connection with arc-lamps it isobvious that it is equally adapted for raising and lowering otherobjects or commodities.

The hanger A is provided at the top with a centrally-apertured couplingor fitting f, adapted to be secured to the mast-arm or other suitablesupporting member. To said coupling is pivoted a depending cone-shapedhood or casing 0, having a central opening at the top to receive thefitting and an opening 0 formed in the base 0 The casing is dividedlongitudinally, thus forming two semicones or members. Each is provided.with a lateral hollow projecting ear (Z, located about midway of thecasing, as clearly shown. A togglejointed or two-part connection itextends transversely across the interior of the casing and is pivotedthereto in the said ears (Z, the length of the connection being suchthat when in the horizontal position it will separate or force apart thetwo swinging members of the casing, thereby increasing the saidbase-opening 0. One of the members A has a lug or stop it formed on itsupper side, the other having a gravity-acting latch I. pivoted there- Asdrawn, (see Figs. 1 and 2,) the cablelb passes downwardly through thecasing, the current-conducting Wires 0 a, inclosed in the flexiblecable, at the same time leading from the cable to the lamp B, the latterbeing suspendedby means of suitable links or members an, secured to theunder side of the central holder or connector Z6. This latter isconeshaped and is adapted to enter the said central opening 0 of thecasing and be supported by its base 0 Fig. 1 shows the several parts inthe normal position and relation. The member is has a centrallongitudinal opening through which the cable passes. The cable isprovided with adjustable upper and lower dogs or stops it a,respectively, the latter capable of supporting the connector kand itsweight or load. The member is is located below the connection h, itsupper portion being adapted to enter the opening Z.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the hanger is represented as having an automaticcutoutthat is, in lieu of the conductors e e, passing through theconnector, they terminate at the base of the casing and are incontinuous engagement with fixed contacts 8 s, respectively. In thiscase the under side of the connector is is provided withsuitably-insulated or fellow contacts s 8 in turn positively connectedwith branch conductors c 0, respectively, passing downwardly therefromthrough the baseopening 0 and connected with the poles of the lamp. Asthus constructed and arranged it will be seen that when the connector isin the normal working position (see Fig. 3) the electric circuit isclosed, thus energizing the two sets of contacts 8 s and 8 s the currentthen flowing to the lamp B. Upon elevating the member 70 the circuit isinstantly broken, thereby automatically cutting the lamp out of thecircuit. (See Fig. 4:.) In this arrangement the cord or flexibleconnection 5 may be hooked into an eye Z2 screwed into the upper end ofthe member 70.

When it is desired to lower the lamp from the hanger A for any purpose,as for trimming, cleaning, &c., the cord 6 or b and attached parts arefirst elevated slightlysay from the position shown in Fig. 1 to thatrepresented in Fig. 2thereby causing the connector is to engage thejointed links or connection IL and swing it upwardly past the centerline or until the stop it engages the side of .the casing, the resultbeing to separate the latter and hold it apart, thus enlarging thebase-opening. This is followed by lowering the lamp, 860., from thehanger. During the early part of this latter movem nt the upper dog a inits descent will engage the latch i and force the connection itdownwardly from the locked or elevated position, thereby permitting thetwo parts of the casing to swing back again to their normally closedposition by gravity. Before this occurs, however, the connector lr willhave passed freely through the openingc at or about the same instant themoving dog at reengages the latch c, thereby insuring that theconnection in is dropped to its limit or until the casing is fullyclosed, the dog meanwhile sliding laterally past the latch and throughthe opening Z as the lamp is lowered. The lamp is returned to the normalor working position through the medium of the elevating-cord.Immediately after the dog '22, passes upwardly through the base-opening0 it passes through the link-opening Z and at the same time engages thelatch i and swings it upwardly until the dog moves above it, when it(the latch) falls by gravity to its normal position. While this istaking place the cone shaped connector it follows up through thebase-opening, its beveled sides temporarily forcing the casing apartuntil the connector has passed therethrough, at which instant the casingagain closes by gravity. the member is then resting upon the beveledbase 0 and being practically locked in position, thus completing theoperation.

I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent 1.As an improved article. of manufacture, the self-locking hanger,substantially as described, the same consisting of a suitably-supportedlaterally-separable pivoted outer casing having an opening through itsbase, an inner transversely-arranged connection jointed to and unitingthe pivoted members of said casing, a vertically-movable Weight-carryingconnector member located below said connection normally seated in andsupported by the base of said casing, and a cable or operatingcordattached to said connector having a dog secured thereto, arrangedwhereby the casing is automatically closed upon flexing the said casingconnection downwardly by the action of said dog after the connectormember has passed through the base-opening.

2. The two-part casing 0 provided with a centrally-apertured base 0 andpivoted at the upper end so as to swing apart, a jointed connection huniting the opposite members of said casing, and aself-dropping latch,in combination with the movable lamp-holding connector is normallyseated in and supported by said base when the casing is closed, a cordor connection attached to said connector for operating the latter, and atripping device secured to said cord above the connector, arrangedwhereby the member is when raised from its seat engages the connectionit and swings the casing apart so that upon lowering the lamp thetripping device will engage said latch and depress the member h to closethe casing after the connector has passed through the base,substantially as described.

3. The combination with an apertured fitting f, the two-part cone-shapedhood or casing 0 pivoted to and suspended therefrom, and the toggleconnection it jointed to and eX- tending transversely across the casing,of the lamp or weight carrying connector is normally seated in the baseof the casing, and means connected with said member 70 for elevating andlowering the same, substantially as described.

4. In a separable self-closing hanger of the kind described, a flexibleoperating-cord, independent current-conductors or leading-in wiresextendingtherethrough adapted to con- 6. In a suitably-mountedlaterally-separable self-closing hanger for electric lamps having an"opening through its base, and independent contact members, 3, 8',arranged to be connected with the conductors of an electriclightingcircuit, the combination therewith of the lamp-carrying cord-connectedverticallymovable connector if having contact members, 8, 8 adapted whenin use to engage with and be energized by said fellow contacts, 8, s,branch conductors in continuous engagement with the poles of the lampand with the said connector contact members, and means connected withthe casing capable of being actuated by the connector, &c., whereby uponelevating the connector the electric circuit is automatically broken andthe hanger separated to'permit the lamp to be lowered, sub stantially ashereinbefore described.

Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 29th day of February, 1904.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. REMINGTON, (J. E. PRICE.

